IN the summer of 1791, several gentlemen of distinction
in the state of New-York, made a tour through its
western territory. In their progress along the east bank
of the Seneca river, six miles south of Cross and Salt
lakes, and forty miles south of the fort of Oswego, they
discovered a remnant of ancient Indian defense,
unequalled perhaps even by the celebrated vestiges at
Muskingum.

The principal fortification is 220 yards in length, and 55
yards in breadth. The bank and corresponding ditch are
remarkably entire, as are two appertures opposite each
other in the middle of the parallelogram, one opening to
the water, and the other facing the forest.

About half a mile south of the greater work, is a large
half moon, supposed to be an out-work; but attended
with this singularity, that the extremeties of the
crescent are from the larger fort. The banks and ditch,
both of this and the first fortress, are covered with trees
which exhibit extremity of age.

Over a small elevation in the great fort the gentlemen
observed a flat stone, five feet in length and three and a
half feet in breadth, and six inches thick, which was
evidently a sepulchral monument. There were a number
of figures engraven upon it, by being sunk with a
chissel near half an inch lower than the general surface
of the stone. The following exhibits its appearance --
perhaps more like the unmeaning crawling of a snail,
than the hieroglyphics of ancient moralizing Thebes.

Upon removing the stone, one of the gentlemen with his
cane dug up a piece of an earthen vessel, which from the
convexity of the fragment he supposed might contain
two gallons: it was very well burned -- looked red, and
had its upper edge indented, as with the finger in its
impressionable state.

It is remarkable, that in the enquiries the travellers
made concerning these singular constructions, among
the surrounding Onandagoes and other nations, they
were so far from receiving any information, traditionary
or otherwise, that the natives themselves had never
noticed it.

Perhaps the day is not far distant, when some American
Gabii or Herculaneum will astonish the world with a
western history, great, important, and interesting as the
oriental.
R.